Delhi Assembly forms panel to probe officers’ alleged misconduct with legislators

The Delhi Assembly on Monday passed a resolution to form a nine-member committee to look into cases of alleged misconduct of government officers with members of the house. The misconduct, as claimed by Aam Aadmi Party MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj, includes not meeting the MLAs, not taking their calls, or not following the protocol vis-a-vis them.

The resolution for the constitution of the ‘House Committee on Violation of Protocol Norms and Contemptuous Behaviour by Government Officers with MLAs’ was moved by AAP MLA Vishesh Ravi.

The committee will comprise nine members, including Chairperson, to be appointed by Speaker Ram Niwas Goel. The move comes in the wake of the recent confrontation between Delhi bureaucrats and AAP Ministers.

The House also passed another resolution, moved by AAP Saurabh Bharadwaj, directing Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash to ensure that the conduct of officers is strictly as per the guidelines of the official dealings.

Prakash was at the centre of attack by AAP legislators on Monday, with the resolution stating that some of the IAS and DANICS officers have been acting against their rules of conduct by not meeting the elected representatives of the Legislative Assembly of Delhi.

Participating in a discussion over officers not meeting MLAs in the House, Bharadwaj said that officers are “duty-bound” to meet an elected representative.

“You (officers) may have a tussle with the Delhi government, but you will have to give respect to an elected MLA who represents 2.5 lakh people when he goes to meet an officer. “Officers are duty-bound to meet officers and take their calls.”